There are reports that Migaloo, an all-white humpback whale, has been sighted off the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, on his annual migration from Antarctica to Queensland. Migaloo is considered by many to be a “rockstar” and is arguably the world’s most famous living whale.
First sighted in 1991, the all-white whale is among some 35,000 humpback whales that migrate north to subtropical waters where they mate and give birth. The timing of the migration depends on water temperatures, sea ice, predators, and the availability of food. 7news.com.au notes that this year, Migaloo is early.
His name means “white fella” in several Indigenous languages.
Below is a short video of Migaloo migrating in 2020.
Ultra-rare White Humpback Whale Spotted on Coast of Australia (Migaloo)
If there are right whales. Are there left whales too? rhetorical
@Willy Tis more a case of how few whales are left 🙂
The whales, often also known as black whales, were called right whales because they were slow, had lots of blubber, and floated after they died. They were literally the “right” whale to go after, which is why they were nearly hunted to extinction.